Loose-leaf binder



` Patented Oct. 22, 1940 PATENT OFFICE LOOSE-LEAF BINDER` Clarence D. Trussell, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.`,` assigner to Trussell Manufacturing Company,Y Poughkeepsie, N. Y., a. corporation of New York i Application July 14, 1939, serial No; 284,403

1 Claim.

This invention relates to binders of the type disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 240,655, ledv November 16, 1938, in which the toggle plates carrying the ring forming prongs are ac- 5 tuated in one direction, as to open the rings, by a pair of iinger levers projecting from the plates at one end of the binder and in the reverse, ring closing direction by a pair of finger levers prol jecting from the plates at the opposite end of the l0 binder.

Experience has shown that sufficient leverage can be applied through these ring operating finger levers to effect a permanent distortion of the parts. Particularly it has been found that by applying extra pressure to the ring closing levers, the toggle plates may be forced past their normal ring closed position to strain and bend the adjoining end ring forming prongs to the extent that they Will no longer meet when the binder is closed in the normal way.

Special objects of the present invention are to prevent and guard against such possible straining and deformation of the parts and to accomplish this desirable result in a thoroughly practical, simple and inexpensive way.

The novel features of the invention by which the foregoing and other desirable results are attained are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates one of the commercial embodiments of the invention. The structure however may be modied and changed in various ways all Within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. l is a top, broken plan View of one of the binders, locked in the ring closed position.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View on substantially the plane of line 2 2, Fig. l, showing in particular the ring closing triggers, equipped with cooperating stops, Which positively prevent these levers from being used in a way to strain and bend the ring forming prongs.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the parts in the ring open position.

, Fig. 4 is a view of the opposite end of the binder metal illustrating the manner in which the finger grips on the ring opening triggers cooperate to prevent excess straining movement being imparted to those levers.

In general, the binder illustrated consists of a pair of toggle plates 6, 1, having mating ring forming prongs, 8, 9, projecting from the opposite outer edges and having their inner edges (Cl. 12B-24) meeting in a rocking toggle joint I0, said plates 'being held in this relation by a spring cover plate II, having flanges I2, I3, providing rocking bearings for the outer edges of the plates at I4, I5. 5

Crossed levers I6, projecting up from the toggle plates at one end of the binder metal serve, when pinched together, to rock the plates in a ring opening direction and non-crossing levers I'I, projecting up from the plates at the opposite 10 end of the binder, serve, as they are pinched together to rock the plates in a ring closing direction.

Angularly turned finger pads I8, at the ends of the ring closing levers or triggers I'I, enable 15 the necessary ring closing pressure being readily applied. To prevent accidental or purposeful application of additional, excess force, injuring and bending the parts, these closing levers, in the illustration, carry opposed cooperating stops I9, 20 Fig. 3, which will meet and prevent further movement'of the levers toward each other, Fig. 2, such as might cause outward bending of the ring prongs. Thus any excess force applied to the levers for closing the rings can not result in in- 25 jury to the parts because the levers are stopped and held against further movement, practically at the instant the ring prongs meet. Actually the parts are preferably related, so that the stops I9, do not quite contact in the ring closed position, 30 so that these stops can never hold the ring prongs open to any extent.

The clossed ring opening levers I6 are shown as having angularlyturned nger padsv 20, at their free ends and these, as indicated inFig. 4, 35 are preferably so disposed, that they can meet to prevent `additional movement of these levers, such as might strain or injure the parts. At their crossing portions, these levers are shown as havf ing companion latch elements 2l, which cooper- 40 ate to lock the'binder in the ring closed position Fig. l, a special feature of the patent application, Ser. 240,655. The nger pads 20 enable .a revolving pressure to be applied to release the companion latch elements and to pinch thelevers to- 45 gether in a ring opening direction and the parts arepreferably so related as indicated in Fig. 4, that the end of one lever will be engaged by the angularly projecting pad of the other lever to limit the movement of the levers to approxi- 5()` mately that required for the full ring opening movement of the toggle plates.

The ring constituting prongs are shown formed as integral parts projecting from the outer edges of the toggle plates. Similarly the trigger levers v-55 may be formed as integral extensions at the ends of the plates. In the present disclosure however, these levers are shown as separately formed and as having angular base portions 22,` secured to the undersides of the toggle plates by spot Welding or the like, so that said levers then project from the undersides of the toggle plates up over the ends of said plates to a positionproviding ample leverage for freely operating the spring toggle plates one Way or the other.

What is claimed is:

A loose-leaf binder, comprising toggle plates meeting in rocking engagement at tl'ieirA inner:

edges and having flat, light weight integral co operating ring forming prongsprojecting fromY their outer edges and said opposing., integralr prongs being bent toward each other to abut in the ring closed position of the toggle plates, a spring holding plate engaging the outer edges of said toggle plates and ring closing triggers attached to said toggle plates at one end of the binder, said triggers being disposed in opposed edge to edge relationship at said end of the binder and having on the opposing edges of the same lugs projecting towardr each other, said lugs beingdisposed'near the outer free ends of said triggers and forming stops cooperatively engageable in the ring closing movement of said triggers but said stops being of insuflcient extent to engage :in the normal abutting position of the ring forming prongs and whereby said stops will be unable to holdsaid prongs in non-abutting relationsh'ip.

CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL. 

